


Constellations

by printfogey



Category: Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2013-07-18
Packaged: 2017-12-20 14:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/888327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/printfogey/pseuds/printfogey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wakaba and Utena watch the stars together on a summer night. Friendship shortfic, perhaps somewhat bittersweet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Constellations

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: This fic is based on the anime series and is set at an unspecified time during it. No real spoilers as such (maybe a very vague one for episode 14). Originally a birthday fic for a friend. Constructive criticism and other feedback very welcome.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Revolutionary Girl Utena was created and is owned by the production group Be-Papas, including manga author Chiho Saito. This fanfic was written without permission for entertainment purposes only. It is not to be used for profit, nor reproduced without the author's consent.

It's a clear, crisp evening in August and the first few stars are alreay twinkling in the darkening sky when Wakaba has the idea of suggesting a star-gazing picnic. It's nice out, and tomorrow is Sunday, she points out, meaning they could sleep in. They could bring a star chart and pick out constellations so they'll feel they learned something, too. Maybe their astronomy teacher might even be impressed.

She's pleased to see Utena's face lighting up at once, losing that soft, pensive, merging-on-melancholic air she's had for a while and which Wakaba is frankly getting really tired of. Utena promptly proclaims this an excellent idea and they decide right away that Wakaba will fix the grub and bring a blanket if it should turn chilly, while Utena will bring nothing but her own lovely cool self, enough to scare any potential muggers away for sure.

Less happily from Wakaba's point of view, Utena goes on to say she'll just go home first and ask Anthy Himemiya if she wants to come, too. Wakaba's heart sinks at that. She does try to be friendly, she really does, but that girl makes it so hard… But then Utena remembers that Himemiya was going stay over at her brother's place tonight. For a moment she talks about maybe going home anyway, to pick up Chu-Chu so he won't be lonely, Wakaba wouldn't have minded that nearly so much, but she still manages to persuade Utena it would be much easier to skip that step. Secretly she's kind of afraid Utena might get caught up in something if she lets her out of her sight, like those secret duels or some other strange if cool event that could keep her away.

When they get out from her dorms, carrying basket, thermos and blanket, the sky is all dark and glittering with countless stars, shining a lot clearer than on most nights. They pick out a good spot in the park, away from the streetlights, and sit themselves down. Wakaba finds her chattering dying down as she looks up at the vaste expanses. She sighs softly.

"So pretty…" she mumbles.

"Yeah," says Utena in a whisper. Then she clears her throat. "Sure is. Umm… did you bring the chart?"

They spend a short while trying to match the diagrams on the chart with the luminous reality above them, munching rice cakes and drinking tea; but soon they give up that nominal excuse and grow mostly quiet again, talking about why the stars and the constellations are called the way they're called, going into a bit of astrology on the way, too. It turns out that Utena has heard quite a bit about tales and legends concerning the stars, especially the ones from ancient Greece.

"Know what the Greeks thought?" she says after a while. "That if you'd been a great hero when you lived, I mean one of the really famous ones, like slaying a dragon to save a princess or killing many-headed monsters with your own hands, or something else that made the gods happy… well, then you wouldn't really die, when your time on Earth was done. You'd get taken up to the sky and, and turn into a star. Or sometimes a whole constellation. Immortality, see?"

"Oh…Huh," says Wakaba, feeling too peaceful to exclaim how awesome it is that Utena knows that sort of thing. Although it _is_ pretty cool. But maybe not all that surprising… "But wouldn't that be kind of boring, though? Just hanging on to one place in the sky, shining there for the rest of infinity? Sounds like a weird kind of paradise."

Utena chuckles. "I guess…" The she grows more thoughtful again. "Or maybe not… Maybe stars can still have adventures, up there in space. Only it's not something that we would ever see." She reaches over for the last rice cake, breaking it in half. "And they get to see everything that's going on down on earth, too. Hey, is there any tea left?"

She reaches out for the thermos, but Wakaba teases her first, holding it out of reach and pretending to want to drink it up herself. Utena smacks in mock impatience and eventually succeeds in grabbing it anyway. Wakaba pulls the blanket up over her legs and puts her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands, looking up quietly. She offers the rest of the big blanket to Utena, who takes it after a bit of hesitation, covering her own legs.

Wakaba snuggles closer, putting her head against Utena's shoulder. Utena sits still now, cup in hand but not drinking, her face turned upwards, still and beautiful in the faint starlight.

One day you'll be up there, you know, Wakaba thinks. One day you'll leave this humdrum daily life and go join all the other heroes in the vast, vast darkness. You'll be off on a white steed, sword in hand, riding to face down and defeat all the dragons and monsters and evil men, glittering brighter than diamonds. You'll be a true prince, like you've always wanted.

And sometimes you'll look down on earth and see all the places and people you used to know, and maybe you'll spot me then, just going about my daily life like us normal people do, we who can never be princes or princesses. Then I bet you'll wave down at me, with this big happy smile on your face. Maybe you'll even salute me.

And I'll put down my shopping bag and wave back with a smile.

And you will go on.


End file.
